Daily Inspiration: Meet Armando Lopez

Armando, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story begins after an accident causing nerve damage to my right hand stopped me from cutting hair as a barber. I wanted to dive into something creative and I’ve always been interested in film so at 34 years old I jumped back into school and graduated with my bachelors degree in Digital Filmmaking.

Now how did film bring me to photography? Well since I knew nothing about light and focal length and all the technical aspects that come with using a camera I decided what better way to learn than by doing still photography. So I bought my first camera and began practicing. I am a perfectionist and a little obsessive about what I do so I feel that I picked up the skills quickly, and when photographing a new puppy became easy I made my way to portraits.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I will say it’s been a bumpy road. Starting a business during a pandemic and continuing afterward has been challenging but at the same time, it’s been rewarding. It has been great time to learn and grow in this amazing field and has helped me build connections with many different people.

The challenges at first were finding clients and people who were interested in taking a chance on a new photographer/videographer. But with those chances I learned to shake off the nerves and create some amazing things for some incredibly talented people.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My specialty in photography is considered a bit risqué especially in utah, but what sets me apart from others who do the same style of work is that my focus is on male boudoir. I feel that boudoir isn’t just a great way for women to feel empowered and for them to build self confidence but that men should also feel the same way. Some people may think it’s a vanity thing but once you hear the stories behind why these people are looking to do this experience you realize that it’s more than just sexy images, it’s a way to feel whole again.

I feel this genre has helped to set me apart from other photographers because it’s made me more aware of the little details. Capturing a sensual and intimate moment with boudoir has opened my eyes to understand other genres of film and photography which help elevate my work.

One thing I’m most proud of is seeing the faces of my clients when they see their images. I’m a firm believer that every scar, freckle and imperfection makes us unique and beautiful in our own way. This is why I never remove those things from my photos and will never use image manipulation software to change the way a client looks.